Stephen Weiss

Viola

Stephen Weiss enjoys an extensive career as a multi-genre soloist, chamber musician, recording artist, and orchestral player having performed throughout the United States and Europe. His international presence includes a residency with the InterHarmony International Music Festival, where his playing has been noted as “downright puristic [and] with a warm, viola sound.” (“Onetz”, Sulzbach-Rosenberg, Germany). Stephen’s career has involved collaborations with renowned musicians from the Dallas, Charleston, and Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestras, the New York Metropolitan Opera, the Houston Grand Opera, and international artists such as The Eagles, The Who, Andrea Bocelli, Josh Groban, Sarah Brightman, Evanescence, Michael W. Smith, Sean Jones, and Mark Wood of the Tran Siberian Orchestra.

Stephen is also a permanent member of Celtic Rock Band “Bastard Bearded Irishmen” which he joined as their violinist in April 2021. As an accomplished chamber musician, Stephen has performed and recorded with renowned musicians such as Jan Loeffler, Erik Asgeirsson, Andres Cardenes, Gary Levinson, Yuriy Bekker, and Michael Klotz. In August 2022, he recorded an album through BRC Records in Birmingham, United Kingdom consisting of Johannes Brahms’s Viola Sonatas op.120 and Piano Trio op.114. Stephen is also a founding member of the Red Line String Quartet, which gained national recognition from their 2019 sold out performance at the DiMenna Center for Classical

Music in New York City. The quartet released their inaugural album, “TURN”, in August 2021.  Stephen was appointed Principal Viola of the Johnstown Symphony Orchestra in August 2019 and is also currently a violist with the Wheeling Symphony Orchestra. He can also be seen with the American Pops Orchestra, Pittsburgh Opera Orchestra, Pittsburgh CLO, Resonance Works Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh Festival Orchestra, Pittsburgh Chamber Orchestra, Opera Columbus, and many more. 

Stephen is also heavily invested in music education. As a devoted, sought-after teacher, he is currently Professor of Viola at Seton Hill University and the Viola Instructor for City Music Center at Duquesne University. He additionally maintains his own professional viola and violin studio, and he has conducted masterclasses at high schools and collegiate institutions across the United States. Stephen received a fellowship to attend Carnegie Mellon University where he received three degrees, which include his Master of Music and two post-master certificates in music performance. He was a student of both David Harding and Tatjana Chamis. He is also a graduate of the Mary Pappert School of Music at Duquesne University where he studied with Maryléne Gingras-Roy. His previous primary teachers include Dr. Timothy Deighton and Paul Silver of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra.

Stephen performs on a 1966 Turtis-model viola by Dudley Reed, which was originally custom-made for the late Pittsburgh Symphony violist Jose Rodriguez.

Stephen joined Radiant Strings in 2020 and has been a dedicated member of the group during their evolution over the last 4 years. He and Nicole have been friends since they met at Duquesne in 2015.